Officers Rescue 9 Puppies, Mother Near Toms River Road

TOMS RIVER, N.J., (CBS) – Officers in Toms River rescued a litter of puppies and their mother after they were spotted dangerously close to a roadway Wednesday morning.

Around 10:45 a.m., Toms River Police say a woman with her two children had been in the area of 1400 block of Hooper Avenue when she saw two very small puppies walking dangerously close to the roadway with what appeared to be their mother.

Police say she stopped and was able to retrieve the two puppies, but the mother fled into the woods.

Toms River Animal Control officers arrived and took custody of the puppies. While they and a police officer searched the wooded area for the mother, police say they found a makeshift den that was dug into the dirt under some pine tree branches about fifty feet from the sidewalk adjacent to Hooper Avenue.

According to police, inside of the den were seven more puppies that were rescued. The mother could not be found and a humane trapping device was set near the den. Police say the mother was also rescued after she entered the trap about five hours later.

The mother appears to be a Jack Russell Terrier and the puppies, which are about five weeks old, are of an unknown mix.

(credit: Toms River Police Department)

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Police say the family was generally in good health and was reunited. They were evaluated and treated by a veterinarian. They are now housed in the newly erected Animal Shelter at the 200 block of Oak Avenue.

Jim Bowen, Facility Director, who coordinated the rescue, states “A search is being conducted to locate the owner of the dogs however if no one claims them they will be placed up for adoption after a minimum wait of approximately three weeks.”

Anyone with information can call the Toms River Police Department at (732) 349-0150.